Einstein, as a singer, songwriter and actor, could express “Israeli-ness” like no one else. When he passed away in November of 2013 at the age of 74, Israel lost one of its most important cultural voices, a man who had written what many consider the soundtrack of Israel. Einstein’s songs express the complexity of every Israelis relationship with national politics, a relationship full of contradictions. But he did it in a humorous, even naive way, which made Einstein so popular. To mark the upcoming 70th anniversary of Israel’s rebirth, we’ll be translating one of Einstein’s songs for you each month.
Israelis are vociferous consumers of news, perhaps more than people in any other country. But, at the same time, the average Israeli likes his government. He interferes very little in political decisions. The silent majority just goes along with anything. It is to this that Einstein refers in the last two verses: “Reading the newspaper, listening to the news, enveloping himself in a smoke screen.” Despite his interest in politics, the Israeli wants to enjoy life and the...
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